Wales’ leading mental health and substance use charity, Adferiad, warns of impact of tightening eligibility for Personal Independence Payments.

Following the announcement that eligibility for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) is set to be tightened, Adferiad warns that people who are already struggling to make ends meet could be pushed to the edge. It costs more to live with a disability, be that physical or mental, and financial support is vital. PIP is designed to provide help to meet the extra living costs for those with disabilities and long-term health conditions. It is a key disability benefit and unlocks other funding and things such as a blue badge. Changing its eligibility would not push people into employment because it is not means tested – many people in receipt of PIP are already in work. In addition, it is a myth to suggest that the majority of claims are for psychiatric illnesses, which currently accounts for 38% of claims – by extension, 62% of claims are for reasons not connected to psychiatric illness.

For many people living with serious mental illness, PIP is a lifeline. Stricter eligibility in a system that’s already failing to adequately accommodate people with the challenges of conditions like Schizophrenia and Bipolar brings added uncertainty and stress for vulnerable people who are already struggling to make ends meet and maintain their independence under the current system.

These proposals aren’t just a cost-cutting measure, for many they’re the difference between being able to cover the additional costs associated with managing their condition. Without it, many will struggle to stay in work, attend their medical appointments and access the treatments and professionals that are essential to their recovery.

The system is already unfit for purpose and making vital support hard to access while failing to invest in mental health services risks further alienating people who are already struggling. People living with serious mental illness deserve the opportunity to thrive without having to fight to survive. Austerity has always been a political choice not an economic necessity, and we urge the Chancellor to rethink her decision to make such vital support even harder to access for the most vulnerable in society, at a time where the cost-of-living has never been so high, and life has never been so precarious for many.